The Death of Stalin

2017’s The Death of Stalin, directed by Armando Iannucci.

Starring Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin, Olga Kurylenko, Jason Isaacs, Tom Brooke, Paddy Considine, Justin Edwards, and Adrian McLoughlin.

What is it about?

The Death of Stalin is a political satire about a group of Russian senior officials in 1953, whom are tasked with running the country after their despot, Joseph Stalin, dies. The head of the secret police (Simon Russell Beale) attempts to seize power, but senior official (Steve Buscemi) would rather the socialist state be run by him. With plenty of officials (such as Jeffrey Tambor and Michael Palin) and Stalin’s children (Rupert Friend and Andrea Riseborough) to be batted about in their game of thrones, who will come out on top to run the superpower?

Why is it worth seeing?

Director and co-writer Armando Iannucci (known for fare such as TV’s Veep and the film, In the Loop), brings his political satiric barbs to the setting of mid 20^th century Russia. It’s a winning combination, his elevation of the politically absurd to the schizophrenic setting of a fascist state being wrestled over by clever and extraordinarily petty men. The results are hilariously black comedy at its finest.

There’s nothing funny about the nightmare of living in a state where citizens are indiscriminately put on kill lists. It’s the kind of situation that throughout history has produced the phenomenon of gallows humour. In all of its grinning skull horror, blacker than black, we see the entitled callousness and sheer incompetence of the ruling class. While their poor citizens scurry about in confused terror, they plot and bicker for power like scheming children.

While the characters attempt their godless pretzel shaped machinations, the script repeatedly points out the absurdities of living in such a situation. One character comments, “I’ve had nightmares that make more sense than this.” Watching loyal subjects, trying to avoid consequences such as death from a terror machine perpetually changing its loyalties and rules, leads to slap stick scenarios.

Behind the amusing absurdities, lies a drum tight game of snakes and ladders. Iannucci drops his typical mockumentary style, opting for something more cinematic. Refreshingly devoid of trying to be “authentic”, Stalin doesn’t do the Hollywood tradition of having actors inconsistently speak with Russian accents (Enemy at the Gates anyone?), nor speak in Russian with sub titles. Instead, the actors speak as they normally do, leaving us to focus on what the movie is about: the sometimes hilariously ungrounded world of politics where you don’t know if you should laugh or salute.

Rating:

4/5

Trailer: Click Here.